Here we are in the middle of winter– it’s freezing outside, we are still in a pandemic, we are hungry… you better believe we are COOKING and BAKING in our house! (What else is there to do?!) I’m rounding up some of the best recipes I’ve made so far this winter and linking the recipes below for you to work into your weekly menu, too.
How I meal plan:
Each week, I game plan by choosing the recipes that I want to make. On a weekend, I’ll narrow my plan down to 3-4/ish recipes, add the ingredients to my grocery list, and post the menu in my kitchen as a visual of what I am prepared to cook in that specific week. As I make something, I cross it off with a pen. (How satisfying!) My method is flexible, and if I don’t feel like making those lentil burgers on Sunday because we want to order Indian instead, no big deal. There is always the next day, or the next.
These are some of my favorite sources for recipes:
- NYT Cooking- paid yearly subscription online ($40)
- Bon Appetit magazine- subscription
- What’s Gaby Cooking (blog and cookbooks)
- Well Plated (blog)
- Smitten Kitchen (blog- one of the originals!!)
Now, on to the recipes so you can get inspired…
ONE-POT WONDERS
Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Bowls (Well Plated) I have been making this recipe for years! It’s basically the only recipe that I use my slow cooker for- it just turns out perfectly every time. It has all of the veggies (peppers, onion, black beans, tomatoes, corn), a healthy grain (quinoa), a protein (ground turkey) and some cheese to finish it off. You know I love a toppings bar (like with my Pumpkin Turkey Chili) so I like to have cilantro, sour cream/yogurt, scallions, limes, and tortilla chips for serving.
One-Pot Orzo with Spinach and Feta– (Melissa Clark- NYT Cooking) I’ve made this 3 times already this winter– I’m obsessed with a veggie-filled pasta dish and especially one covered in feta cheese.
PASTA/NOODLES
A warm, filling bowl of noods is all I need when I’m snowed in!
Kale Pesto with Pasta (Bon Appetit) I LOVE this one– it’s a great way to use up an entire bunch of kale when you don’t feel like eating kale salad. With a large food processor, this pesto pasta is FAST, too! I’ve found that my 3-yr-old is very willing to eat pasta when he’s allowed to grate the parmesan with this fun tool.
Peanut Noodles with Sesame Halloumi (Half Baked Harvest) This is basically my favorite recipe on the internet. I make it once per month. It’s pretty spicy (due to the Thai red curry paste) but the peanut sauce is so irresistible I still devour it as-is. Don’t forget to add water to the sauce, which blends up perfectly in a mini-food processor.
Pad Thai with Shrimp– I have a thing for peanut noodles (see above) and (in addition to making the above) wanted something that resembled pad thai! I googled recipes and started with with the most popular recipe search result. When you are make a recipe for the first time, taste as you go! I made plenty of modifications to the method and ingredients– a little less fish sauce, more peanut butter, less sugar, etc. I used 1 lb of frozen shrimp. Dang, it hit the spot. Recipes truly are blueprints- don’t be afraid to veer from what is written!
LIGHT & FRESH
Banh Mi Bowls- (Budget Bytes) This was a first-time recipe for me, and wow– so much flavor! Pork meatballs mixed with ginger and soy, pickled carrots and onions, jasmine rice.
Salmon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes– One of my favorite meals. Linking you back to my own post where I walk you through how to time this meal to come out perfectly.
SOUP
Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup- (What’s Gaby Cooking) Pure comfort! I’ll be honest– this soup is a labor of love between baking the potatoes, cooking bacon, frying the potato skins (be sure to add salt!) etc… but it is perfect for a cozy weekend day project that is totally worth it.
Red Lentil Soup with Lemon- (NYT Cooking) Soup like this is so easy to make with pantry staples! Customize it based on what you like and what you have. Pairs well with homemade bread… read on!
BAKERY
Sourdough Bread: I have been baking it since the start of quarantine 2020- and I’m fully into it. I started with the NYT Cooking sourdough method, and have tweaked it here and there along the way with trial and error. Cold winter air presents its own set of problems for baking, and this incredible folding proofer has been my solution! It controls the temperature of the bulk fermentation (aka hours of rising and gluten development necessary for good sourdough) and has really improved my bread this winter!
Sandwich bread- (Sally’s Baking Addiction) When I don’t have sourdough ready to go, this is the loaf I make. It’s perfect for Ollie’s sunbutter & jelly sandwiches, his fav lunch to take to school. It takes about 3 hours start to finish, and I use 1/3 white whole wheat flour.
Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins- (Well Plated) I always have frozen blueberries, which means I basically always have what I need to make these muffins. I am a true believer in silicone muffin tin liners which help the muffins come out of the tin easily! These are easy and delightful to make on the weekend.
Kitchen Sink Cookies– (What’s Gaby Cooking) These cookies call for about 2 cups of mix-ins, so I used up a bunch of random bags of chocolate chips, Christmas M&M’s, and dried fruits left over in my pantry. The result was exquisite!! We ate what we wanted, I took some to give away at work, and I still froze about 2 dozen. Highly recommend!
I’m always happy to share a great recipe when I find it. Have you made any of these yourself?!